The present invention relates to audio/visual programming. More particularly, the present invention relates to customization of display of audio/visual programming.
Many classic black and white movies and other audio/visual programming (e.g., cartoons, sporting events) have been xe2x80x9ccolorizedxe2x80x9d in order to take advantage of improvements in video technology that have been developed after the program was originally recorded. The term xe2x80x9ccolorizedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccolorizationxe2x80x9d refer to a process that adds color to an originally black and white program. Colors are selected by an editor and applied to the original program with a computerized system. The resulting program is a colorized program.
However, many people, including many classic programming fans, prefer black and white movies to colored and colorized programming. Therefore, controversy often exists over which version of a movie should be broadcast by broadcasters or stocked by audio/visual libraries. This controversy results in excessive copies of programs and/or dissatisfied customers.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for allowing colored movies or other audio/visual programming to be viewed in black and white by viewers who prefer to view programming in black and white.
A method and apparatus for automatically displaying colored audio/visual programs in black and white is described. Colored images of an audio/visual program are received. The audio/visual program is displayed, responsive to user input, with reduced color to provide a display of the audio/visual program in black and white. In one embodiment, the colored images are colorized images. In one embodiment, reduced color is provided by reducing the color setting of a display device.